A moment that stayed with me!

As a PhD student who had never attended an external conference before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from PCUK Ideas to Innovation. From the minute we arrived at the conference, the collaborative environment really stood out to me. I could see researchers I knew from my university talking to other researchers from institutes all around the country, which was a stark contrast from some of the conferences I had attended before, where researchers mainly stayed in familiar circles. 

During a break on the first day, I ended up talking to another PhD student from a different university. It turned out he had recently carried out one of the experiments I’m planning, namely a CRISPR screen, and it was incredibly useful to be able to get some tips and advice from him on how to carry this out, and any potential challenges I might encounter. 

This unexpected connection will really help me with my own research, and hopefully streamline the process so that I can generate important results quicker, reducing the time it takes for patients to potentially see the benefits of my research.

One of the most impactful aspects of the conference for me was the integration of Patient Research Partners into every session. Each talk began with a voice grounded in lived experience, whether personal or through a family member, which set a powerful tone for everything that followed.

Hearing their perspectives during the Transformational Impact Awards and other talks made the research feel more grounded and more relevant to the people it is ultimately for. This approach challenged me to think more critically about how my own research might translate into tangible benefit, and how patient priorities should shape the questions we ask.

It reinforced that impactful research is not only innovative, but also deeply connected to lived experience.

This year, I experienced the journey from bench to bedside more profoundly than ever before. Understanding what patients go through and recognising the importance of working with them will shape the direction of my prostate cancer research moving forward. Observing patient research partners collaborating with researchers refreshed my perspective on where I envision my career in the future, as I aspire to listen to and support patients through cutting-edge research.

What truly resonated with me was the sense of community that supports researchers at every level. I had the opportunity to learn about the latest research being conducted by others in the same field and explore networking possibilities through themed sessions. This helped me identify whom to talk to about my own research ideas. As an early-career researcher, I often feel out of place at events like this, but this event was well-organised, and I particularly appreciated the approach taken to the networking sessions with the stickers in name badges, themed by Areas of Expertise.

As someone from an ethnic minority background, I found it especially meaningful to see equity and equality in research genuinely valued. I hope that future conferences will strive for even broader representation during the discussion session, allowing for a more inclusive environment.

Receiving a travel bursary to share my findings on adrenomedullin signalling in castration-resistant prostate cancer was a milestone for my first postdoc. However, the most impactful aspect of the forum wasn't just presenting; it was the comfortable casualness of the environment. Unlike intimidating large-scale conferences, this forum fostered genuine connection, allowing me to secure several exciting collaborations to help define my niche as an independent researcher.

The moment that truly stayed with me was Professor Charlotte Bevan’s presentation on the abscopal effect. Learning how primary tumour radiotherapy can educate immune cells to target distant metastases was a revelation. It challenged my focus on localised signalling by highlighting the profound systemic potential of the immune system. This sparked a shift in my thinking: I am now considering how the pathways I study might intersect with these broader immune responses to benefit patients with advanced metastatic disease.

I’ve realized that while I am carving out my own research niche, staying open to these interdisciplinary perspectives is what will ultimately drive real-world innovation. I’m returning to the lab not just with new data, but with a more expansive vision for what my research can achieve.

Why patient voice matters: Science gains its greatest clarity not from data alone, but from the lives that data is meant to serve. The recent Prostate Cancer UK event ‘Ideas to Innovation’ was different. Every session opened not with data, but with a patient — and that single structural choice shifted everything.  

One contribution has not left me. Patrick Williams, a Black man sharing his experience of prostate cancer, spoke with words that cut through every layer of scientific detachment:

"My diagnosis came too late. But by the time my sons are my age, a doctor might sit in front of my son and say 'your screening caught it in time, and the treatments can sort this out without side-effects.' And that will be good."

There was hope in his words. Patient voices introduce a different kind of impact — urgency that is not abstract, consequences that are not theoretical, and meaning no statistical model can capture. The science lost none of its importance. What it gained was context, accountability, and humanity. If science is the engine of progress, then patient voice is the direction.

The most impressive moment during From Ideas to Innovation 2026 was when Hayley asked the young fellows funded by the Career Acceleration Fellowship to stand up. As an early career researcher, this moment felt particularly meaningful to me because I also hope to progress further in academia, develop my skills, and eventually become an independent researcher or leader in the future.

What made this moment so memorable was that it allowed me to quickly identify people who had already achieved something I am currently working towards. I took the opportunity to speak with some of them afterwards, and those conversations were both inspiring and encouraging. They shared useful advice about applying for opportunities like this, but just as importantly, they gave me a sense of motivation and confidence.

In other words, this moment made my own career goals feel more real and achievable. It reminded me that professional growth in academia is not only about ambition, but also about learning from others who are slightly ahead on the same path.

As this is the second iteration of From Ideas to Innovation, I knew what to anticipate, yet this year far surpassed my expectations. We heard from clinical and lab-based researchers from a range of career stages with a particular focus on the Patient Research Partners that provide crucial patient representation and input on trial and study design, ensuring equitable consideration of different demographics, and making our work as researchers as impactful as possible. 

The meeting facilitated connections and networking with researchers across the UK and supported new ideas and approaches for my own research. We had meaningful and important discussions around equity in cancer research which challenged my own perceptions and ideas. I applaud Prostate Cancer UK for their openness and drive to improve research culture and environment. 

I highly recommend attending any Prostate Cancer UK events in the future for researchers of any career stage, but in particular Early Career Researchers, and already am looking forward to next years Making Progress meeting.  

A moment that stayed with me from this conference was the space given to patients to share their voices.

Hearing them speak about their experiences brought a different perspective to the space and acted as a meaningful reminder of why we do this work. It pushed me to look beyond the focus of data and results, which are valuable and exciting in their own right, and be aware of the people at the centre of it all.

This experience reinforced the importance of keeping patient perspectives at the centre of translational research and is something that will stay with me moving forward.

FITI 2026 was awesome! Where to begin? The emphasis on patient involvement and participation in research was a key takeaway, and it was deeply moving to hear powerful statements from patients and patient representatives. The opening talk emphasised the value of research in terms of Time, and the closing talk powerfully echoed the need for inclusivity in prostate cancer research and treatment.

The discussions on equity in prostate cancer research were particularly inspiring, and this resonated with my research into drivers of prostate cancer aggressiveness in black men.

I loved the well-structured breaks and venue organisation, these maximised opportunities for interactions with peers and mentors. I was able to connect with researchers in related fields and will follow up on these contacts. I look forward to sharing progress with my research at the next meeting!  

The moment that stayed with me most was hearing a prostate cancer patient or family member speak at the start of each session. I really liked this format because it made the conference feel more personal and reminded me who research is ultimately for.

I think there is usually a lot of communication between patients and doctors, but much less between patients and researchers. For me, this was one of the most valuable parts of the conference. It helped me understand patient needs more directly and made me think more seriously about why our research matters and which problems most urgently need solving.

It also left me thinking about fairness in healthcare, especially how we can make sure proper screening and diagnosis are available to everyone, not just some people. That is a question I want to keep thinking about in my future research.

As a PhD student it was a great opportunity to present a poster at the Prostate Cancer UK - From Ideas to Innovation conference, and I am so grateful for the travel bursary which allowed me to attend. For me, hearing how our day to day research impacts patient life really recapitulated the last four years that I have spent mixing colourless liquids in the lab, trying to understand and develop novel therapeutic strategies for treatment resistant prostate cancer, by putting it in the broader context.  

At Nottingham, we have spent years building our connection with prostate cancer patients and inviting their input into our research. It was really nice to see this resonated by other research groups across the country, and to see how helpful patients were to contribute their time to be involved in the science, and offer their lived experience to steer us in the right direction.  

Along with the networking session at the conference, presenting a poster also allowed me to meet fellow peers working across the country, some of whom I have read about in journals or met at previous Prostate Cancer UK meetings. It also allowed me to push myself out of my comfort zone and make new connections, which I hope will lead to new collaborations and exciting science.

For over 80 years, hormone deprivation therapy and drugs that block the androgen receptor - a key driver of prostate cancer—have been central to the treatment of advanced disease. This approach, rooted in the pioneering work of Charles Huggins and colleagues, remains vital today. What stood out for me at PCUK’s recent Ideas to Innovation meeting, however, was how much the field is now expanding beyond this foundation. The breadth of research was striking: from improved diagnostics to entirely new treatment strategies, all shaped by a clear message from patients and families - the need for more personalised care. 

Several themes resonated strongly. Early detection and risk stratified screening are essential to reduce overtreatment. Better integration of biology, imaging, and clinical trials will help match the right treatments to the right patients. And crucially, equity, quality of life, and patient centred outcomes must remain at the heart of progress. The lasting message for me was unmistakable: the future lies in earlier, smarter, and more personalised interventions - and in giving men not just more time, but time lived well.